DOES GOD EXIST? TODAY

July 29, 2026July 27, 2026

Chimpanzee Civil War

One of the doctrines of Darwinism is that animals are driven by a basic obedience to “survival of the fittest.” The fit survive, and the less fit do not, and that determines the future and existence of the life form. In Darwinism, war is viewed as a human creation based on politics, history, or economics. In Darwinian terms, the only time an animal would kill another of its own species is when a male kills the babies of a female he wishes to mate with to produce his own progeny. More recent research indicates a chimpanzee civil war.

Recent studies of chimpanzees in Uganda have shown that the roughly 200 chimpanzees in Kibale National Park have split into two groups of about 100 individuals and have declared war on each other. The groups have been called the Central and Western clusters. Between 2018 and 2024, researchers witnessed Western adults kill seven males and 17 infants from the Central group. An additional 14 adolescent or adult Central males disappeared during that time, and their bodies were never recovered. Researchers have documented two more attacks on Central males since the study ended in 2024.

Primatologist Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee civil war in Gombe National Park in Tanzania, with several chimpanzees killing others in the 1970s. However, it was assumed that the action was not natural, but because humans gave Gombe chimpanzees bananas. We now know that this is normal chimpanzee behavior and that war is not restricted to humans. What we have now seen among chimpanzees has also been seen among lions, dogs, cats, and hyenas, and has been misunderstood by Darwinists. Behavior among higher forms of life is not just controlled and driven by sex and food.

Because humans have a spiritual makeup in the image of God, we can live together without violence or conflict. Read Matthew 5-7, and you see a blueprint for how that is possible. Jesus brought peace to mankind, but greed, politics, and selfishness have corrupted what God intended for us.

Reference: Scientific American for July/August 2026, pages 10-11.

July 28, 2026July 27, 2026

Dragonflies and God’s Design

Imagine what this world would be like if there were no controls on the number of bugs we have to contend with. Insects are part of the food chain on our planet, but there is a difficult balance between insects as food for birds and fish, and making life miserable for humans. God has given us dragonflies to control other insects.

Dragonflies live in various environments, from wetlands to desert pools to mountains, on every continent except Antarctica. There are 3012 species known to science, and they demonstrate God’s genius of design. To catch and eat other insects, dragonflies must be fast enough to outfly them. One dragonfly species has been clocked at 60 mph (96 km/h). They must also make quick turns, and researchers have found that they can experience 9 Gs when turning to catch prey. If a dragonfly gets upside down, it can right itself in .2 seconds.

Dragonflies have a wingbeat of 30 times per second, and their eyes can take in their surroundings and process 200 images per second, allowing them to capture and eat various insects. Dragonflies have virtually no enemies at any stage of life. In the nymph stage, they have gills, so they develop underwater and feed on mosquito larvae, among other things. Unlike most other insects, dragonflies produce relatively few offspring, helping maintain the balance between predator and prey.

Scientists study dragonflies to improve flight technology, and they amaze us with their complexity and design that allows them to be insect predators. In Job 38:39-41, God challenges Job to explain how various forms of life find food. Everywhere we look, we see that a wonder-working hand has gone before. Romans 1:20 tells us that we can know there is a God through the things He has made, and the dragonfly is an example of that truth.

July 27, 2026July 26, 2026

Marine Fungi – God’s Solution for Ocean Pollution?

Marine Fungi – God’s Solution for Pollution

One of the great challenges facing humanity today is the amount of plastic pollution in our oceans. Polyurethane plastic is among the most prevalent and harmful pollutants in our oceans today. Researchers have found marine fungi that decompose plastic and turn it into food. Up to 60% of the fungi researchers have found in the ocean have some ability to eat plastic.

Research continues to see whether marine fungi can break down other forms of plastic, such as polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate. Since less than 1% of ocean fungi are documented, our knowledge is very limited. Dr. Anthony Amend at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa says, “Fungi possess a superpower for eating things that other organisms can’t digest.”

The basic point of this ministry is that science and faith are 100% supportive of one another. There is no conflict between science and faith, and every scientific discovery supports that. We continually see support for the statement in Romans 1:20, which says that “we can know there is a God through the things He has made.” From the galaxies of outer space to the simple cells of marine fungi, we see this truth demonstrated.

Climate change and environmental issues are problems that can be solved by scientists and Christians working together. We need to encourage Christian young people with an aptitude for science to get involved in learning more about God’s creation. That is one of the goals of this ministry.

Reference: Discover Magazine for Summer 2026, page 20.

July 23, 2026July 20, 2026

The Human Nature of Christ

The biblical description of the human nature of Christ shows Him to be very much like us. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way as we are – yet without sin.” Also, 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that we don’t face anything today that is not common to mankind.

The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is God, yet it describes the human nature of Christ. John’s gospel begins by saying that the Word created all things, and verse 14 says, “The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us.” That means that God knows what we endure, and, unlike the ghosts and spirits of pagan religions, the God we read about in the Bible went through what we go through.

We see the human nature of Christ as He experiences what humans do. We see Jesus frustrated with humanity and needing time alone (John 6:15). We see Him frustrated with Peter’s lack of faith, which caused him to sink after he had just seen the power of Christ (Matthew 14:31). In Matthew 14:26, when the disciples saw Christ walking on the water, they resorted to a pagan explanation, saying it was a spirit they were seeing.

Jesus needed time in prayer, just as we do (Luke 22:41-42). He experienced human fatigue, as seen in John 4:6 when He sat at the well in Samaria, and again in Matthew 8:24-25 when He slept through a storm on the Sea of Galilee. Christ was exposed to sexual temptations as a group of women who supported His work traveled with Him (Luke 8:1-3). In John 11:1-44, we read of Jesus having a close relationship with Mary and Martha. Jesus had strong family interactions, as seen in the exchange with His mother at the wedding feast at Cana (John 2:3-4) and when His mother and brothers tried to interfere with His ministry (Matthew 12:46-50). Jesus felt physical pain, as seen in the crucifixion.

The question is how you and I view Christ and respond to Him. Can you see the human nature of Christ? Do you see Him as a mystical non-human or as a brother and a friend who can relate to your struggles in life?

July 22, 2026July 20, 2026

Good Soil in the Garden of the Heart

To have a successful garden, you need good soil. Where does it come from? Does it just happen to be good? If you have worked in a garden, you know that good soil takes effort on your part. You must till the soil, pull out old roots, dig out rocks, remove pebbles, and add fertilizer.

The same is true of the good soil of our hearts. We must prepare our hearts to receive the Word and produce a bumper crop. We must get rid of bad attitudes and dig out rocks of resentment, hatred, and the pain of bad experiences. But we do not have to do this entirely on our own. God’s Spirit is available to root out the bad things that Satan brings upon us.

In Matthew 13, Jesus taught about good soil in the parable of the sower (verses 1-23) and the parable of the weeds (verses 24-29). We need to remember the message of those parables and understand that Satan doesn’t want us to improve our soil. It is essential that we study and learn from God’s Word. That is the one thing we can use to make our hearts receptive to the purpose God has for us.

Don’t try to create good soil that produces a “bumper crop” on your own. A garden that is not tended by a gardener will never produce a good crop. A heart that is not maintained by God’s Spirit will never be what it should be. The only way for us to have God’s Spirit helping us is revealed in Acts 2:38:

“Change your thinking and be baptized … in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and YOU WILL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. The promise is for you and your children and for ALL who are afar off…”

You and I are those who are afar off, and the message is for us.is for us.

July 21, 2026July 20, 2026

Genetic Evolution Is Not the Answer

God told Noah and his sons: “…BE FRUITFUL AND INCREASE IN NUMBER; MULTIPLY ON THE EARTH AND INCREASE UPON IT” (Genesis 9:7). Scientists who study genetics tell us that this command is impossible by genetic evolution alone. When evolutionary anthropologists calculate how long it would take for humans to spread throughout the planet by genetic evolution, they find it would require at least 88 million years. No one believes that humans have existed on Earth for that long, so genetic evolution is not the answer.

Humans occupy as much of the planet’s dry land as all other mammals combined. Evolutionists attempt to solve this problem by saying it is due to “cultural evolution,” meaning that as cultures evolve, humans find ways to adapt to new environments.

Since genetic evolution is not the answer, a biblically sound approach is to accept that a combination of social cooperation, language, creativity, and intellect allowed humans to cover the planet many times faster than would be possible by genetic evolution. We can credit that to God creating humans in His image with those abilities.

The spread of humans over the entire planet is due to the way God created us, and is not an accident. The bigger issue now is how we can control our numbers and efficiently use the resources for survival that God has made available on Earth.

Reference: Scientific American for July/August 2026, page 17.

July 20, 2026July 19, 2026

Voting in Michigan and Biblical Teaching

We are in a time of voting in Michigan, with various political candidates urging us to vote for them. How does biblical teaching apply to us as we vote? Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). As is always the case, we need to consider who wrote it, to whom, why, and how the original audience would have understood it. In this case, Jesus addressed the “hit men” of the Pharisees, who were trying to trap Him with a question they thought would put Him at odds with the Law of Moses. Jesus says, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?” and then makes the statement about paying taxes. The Jews did not have the right to vote for Roman leaders.

Matthew 22:21 does not describe how we, as Christians, should respond to voting. All over Michigan right now, men and women who believe in God and the Bible as the Word of God are providing information about what is happening in our state. Before voting in Michigan, we need to learn how a candidate would handle the following issues:

1) The Michigan State Board of Education has decided to change the health curriculum guidelines for K-12 to include teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity beginning in grade 4. Classroom time for teaching reading and math is reduced to do this, and the teaching calls for the acceptance of all lifestyle choices as equal. Meanwhile, Michigan has fallen to #44 nationally in reading and math.

2) Some public schools have permitted children to change their gender in secret without parents’ knowledge or permission. Because of that, some schools allow boys who say they are changing their gender to participate in girls’ sports and use girls’ locker rooms and bathrooms.

3) In Michigan, abortion is legal for any reason and at any stage of a pregnancy. Regulations and reporting requirements have been removed from clinics, and the abortion pill now causes 70% of abortions without doctor supervision. Michigan has also stopped regulating the disposal of fetal remains.

How you vote is up to you, but when voting in Michigan or any other state, it is essential to know how a candidate would respond to these and other issues.

Data from “Citizens for Traditional Values” 517-321-1390 ctvmichigan.org

July 16, 2026July 14, 2026

The La Brea Tar Pits Tell Us About Life

One of the world’s most important fossil sites is the La Brea Tar Pits, located just off Wilshire Boulevard in the heart of Los Angeles, California. La Brea is Spanish for “the tar” and refers to oil that pushes up through narrow cracks in the rocks from as deep as 1000 feet underground. As the lighter-weight oil, gas, and other volatiles evaporate, what is left is asphalt, usually covered with water, creating a death trap. When an animal came to drink, it would sink into the asphalt and be unable to escape. The La Brea Tar Pits tell us about life in North America 13,000-plus years ago.

In many cases, as an animal struggled to free itself from the tar, it would be attacked by a predator. The predator would also get stuck, and both the predator and the victim would sink into the tar and die. Then, a bird that ate dead animals, like today’s vultures, would land on the carcass and also get caught.

Most of the fossil remains of the animals found in the La Brea Tar Pits are not animals that exist today. They include saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, giant ground sloths, giant short-faced bears, dwarf pronghorns, American lions, various insects, and even extinct plants. The La Brea Tar Pits tell us about life in the past, not the animals and plants that are abundant on Earth or indigenous to California today.

No dinosaur remains have ever been found at La Brea because they were already extinct. No sea creatures or plants from the age of the dinosaurs have been found. The La Brea Tar Pits provide no evidence to support a 10,000-year limit to Earth’s age nor any evidence that they resulted from the flood of Noah.

Denominational creationism based on religious dogma is not supported by the Bible or physical evidence. The dispensationalist teaching is destructive to the faith of young people who have visited places like La Brea. The Genesis account is undated and is not designed to give a detailed history of life on our planet. The very first verse of Genesis tells us that God created the Earth – not when or how. The La Brea Tar Pits tell us about life in North America during a limited time in Earth’s history. We must speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent. The Bible is God’s word, and adding to it only dilutes its value and does not help us understand the past.

Reference: Smithsonian magazine April/May 2026, pages 79-87.

July 15, 2026July 14, 2026

How Many Insect Species?

You probably think insects are everywhere, and you would be correct. You will not find a single home in the United States, or anywhere else, that does not have ants, beetles, or spiders. The truth is that we could not live without insects because they fill many beneficial roles in the ecosystem. For the past four decades, scientists have estimated that there are about six million insect species. However, a new study published in June 2026 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has revised that estimate upward – a lot! How many insect species are there?

Nobody knows for sure, but the new research estimates that there are 14 to 20 million species. That is SPECIES, not the total number of insects. There are “thousands of billions” of individual ants crawling around the planet. Coming up with a total number of individual insects would be impossible, but the number far exceeds the number of people. Don’t let that bother you because they are essential to life on this planet.

The diversity of insects is also amazing. Some are so small we may not even see them. Some fly, and others crawl. We never see some of them because they live as parasites inside other insects. Many clean up organic waste in our environment. Others pollinate our crops. I am sure there are some that you would rather do without, such as flies and mosquitoes, but even they have a purpose. At the same time, you probably appreciate the beauty of butterflies.

One thing is certain. Insects are the most diverse and pervasive group of animals. Only God knows how many insect species there are, but those who study them are discovering new species every year.

Reference: popsci.com

July 14, 2026July 13, 2026

What Is a Star-Filled Sky Worth?

What is a star-filled sky worth? When David wrote his psalms, he sat under a star-filled sky without the problem of light pollution from city lights, satellites, or reflective mirrors in the sky. What would it be like if there were tens of thousands of mirrors in low Earth orbit reflecting sunlight down onto various dark areas of the planet?

A California company called Reflect Orbital (we reported on it earlier) hopes to put at least 50,000 mirrors in orbit by 2035 to reflect sunlight onto various customers on Earth’s surface. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has just given them permission to test the idea by launching their first space mirror into orbit.

Ben Nowak, the CEO of Reflect Orbital, suggests endless possibilities with sunlight not limited by geography or time of day. His company’s website says it could help search-and-rescue teams locate a missing person much more quickly. Another suggestion is that a city could have evenly lit streets without carbon emissions from electric-powered streetlights. Furthermore, construction projects could be completed in half the time because the crews could work safely through the night. And, of course, they also suggest mirrors reflecting sunlight onto solar arrays could extend their electricity-generating ability and reduce the use of fossil fuels.

The question is, what is a star-filled sky worth? Many people visit dark-sky locations to enjoy the stars and the Milky Way at night. The Colorado Plateau in the southwestern United States spans Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico and is home to many of the best dark-sky locations. Places like Grand Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Great Basin National Park, Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Natural Bridges National Monument are locations where visitors see the night sky without major light pollution.

So far, the emphasis has been on the economic advantages that could be derived from placing mirrors in space to direct sunlight into various locations. But a team of researchers is attempting to put an economic price on the cost of the loss of dark skies and the impact on tourism. They’re concerned about the “decline in visitor satisfaction when environmental quality deteriorates.” Another factor that must be considered is the effect on wildlife in areas where those mirrors are beamed and the circadian rhythm of animals, plants, and people from the diffused light that is scattered out into a larger area. God has given us a beautiful night sky that the psalmist was able to enjoy thousands of years ago. It is already disappearing. Will that be completely lost to coming generations? What is a star-filled sky worth?

References: space.com HERE and HERE